CALABASAS, Calif. (Feb. 2, 2005) – The interactive entertainment industry’s elite creative talent and business executives gathered together on Tuesday evening, February 1, to honor the top video games of 2004, at the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, held during the annual D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas.

Voted and judged upon by game industry peer panels from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the professional organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of interactive arts, the awards celebrate outstanding technical and artistic achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.

“The Interactive Achievement Awards provide an important arena for the interactive entertainment industry to showcase the year’s most outstanding video and computer games,” said Joseph Olin., president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “This year’s winners not only represent some of 2004’s most popular games, but they also embody the spirit and innovation that has driven this industry since its inception.”

Winners of the 8th annual interactive achievement award categories are listed below, along with the corresponding publishers and developers, respectively.

1. Game Of The Year Awards

Ã‚Â· Game Of The Year - Half-Life 2 (Vivendi Universal Games/Valve)

Ã‚Â· Console Game Of The Year - Halo 2 (Microsoft/Bungie)

Ã‚Â· Computer Game Of The Year - Half-Life 2 (Vivendi Universal Games/Valve)

Ã‚Â· Strategy Game Of The Year - Rome: Total War (Activision/Creative Assembly)

D. Online

Ã‚Â· Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World Game Of The Year -World of WarCraft (Vivendi Universal Games/Blizzard)

Dominating this year’s awards recipient categories for Game of the Year, Innovation, Craft and Computer awards was Half-Life 2 (Vivendi Universal Games/Valve.)

“Half-Life 2 was a huge challenge creatively as well as for the company,” said Gabe Newell, CEO and Founder, Valve. “To be honored with nine Interactive Achievement Awards is a great symbol that all those years of hard work and investment were absolutely worth it.”

The 2005 D.I.C.E. Summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate and Entertain), is a high-level interactive entertainment industry conference that brings together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all the major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future. The three-day event concludes today at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, NV. More information on the 2005 D.I.C.E. Summit can be found at www.DICESummit.org.

About The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS)
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The Academy’s mission is to promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and conduct an annual awards show (Interactive Achievement Awards) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The Academy also strives to provide a voice for individuals in the interactive entertainment community.